Get It Together
by Gothic984
Summary: An incident with Caleb causes Lucas to be suspicious of Gail's sanctuary, while Gail becomes increasingly bored and tries to entertain herself.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories and follows on from Eye For An Eye.

It was a cool late evening in Trinity South Carolina, darkness had begun to engulfed the Town early due to the change in season; however, that did not deter mischievous children from roaming around in an attempt to entertain themselves, before they were called in for the day.

Caleb Temple did not think of himself as mischievous, although he was out past his curfew yet again. Caleb saw himself as an adventurer and felt it was his duty to explore the Town, to ensure he had a good understanding of where he was growing up. It was obvious that his Father knew Trinity inside out, and his Step Mother made no attempt to hide her desire to uncover the things that were buried deep here. It was no wonder that his fascination with his home Town was growing due to his influences, and right now his attention was focused solely on Goat Town.

'Come on Caleb, it's past our curfew and my Mom ain't as understandin' as Gail' Rose sighed, annoyed at herself for following him this far away from home so late in the day.

Caleb smiled to himself as his companion rode beside with him. The affection that he felt for Rose was overwhelming, and the fact that she was willing to get into trouble with him made his fondness for her grow. 'It's fine, your Momma's probably out with that guy she met. She won't even know you ain't there!' he advised amused and continued to his intended destination.

Rose thought about his comment, then shrugged it off. Her Mother had been spending a lot of time with Joe, the Gas Station guy, and she hated how much she tried to impress him. Rose had nothing against her Mother spending time with new friends; however, the discreet winks Joe shot her and long stares when her Mother was not looking made her feel uncomfortable, and she shuddered at the thought of him.

Caleb caught sight of Rose's shiver and brought his bicycle to a halt. 'You alright?' he asked confused, feeling a strange protective urge come over him.

Rose stopped beside him as she sensed his sudden change, then forced a reassuring smile and pointed towards the dim lit building further down the road. 'We're here dummy' she said sarcastically, then walked the rest of the way pulling her bicycle carefully beside her.

Caleb's attention shifted to the task at hand and he stared up curiously at the large building, which was situated next door to Abe's Antique Store. He noticed the light in the main area of Abe's Store was still on, indicating the man had not closed up for the day, and moved away from the street lights to avoid detection. Caleb wanted to complete his task uninterrupted; therefore, he discarded his bike at the side of the building and signalled for Rose to follow him around back.

Rose obediently followed Caleb even though she was smart enough to realise what they were doing was wrong, and thought back to her Mother trying to impress Joe. She pondered over her subconscious need to impress Caleb, she knew she was developing feelings for him; however, this action was just dumb and she had never envisioned herself as stupid.

'You comin'?' Caleb called back quietly, waiting for her to catch up.

Rose let out a long sigh at her own stupidity, then followed him to the back of the property and entered the deserted Wicca Store through the open back door. 'Don't you find it odd that Gail would leave the door open?' she asked curiously, as she stared at the old boxes that littered the old storage area.

'Ain't no-one gonna break into Lucas Buck's wife's place' Caleb answered knowingly, as he made his way out of the storage room and into the main area of the Store. 'Besides, the front door was locked and I bet this place ain't left unguarded'

Rose was about to question Caleb's comment when she heard a low growl from her left and jumped up onto the counter. 'Caleb!' she yelled, unable to stop herself and gasped when he placed his hand over her mouth to quieten her.

'Shhhh' Caleb whispered, shooting Gideon a smug grin as he knew the dog was not allowed to make a move against him without provocation. 'He ain't gonna hurt us, but Abe will if he hears your hollerin''

Rose glanced at the large dog to her left when he finally showed himself and gave off an involuntary shiver. 'I think we should go' she whispered quietly when he removed his hand from her mouth, attempting to hold back her fear of this strange place.

Caleb squeezed Rose's shoulder reassuringly, just like Lucas had to him before he dropped him off at School and gave him the orders. 'This won't take long, I just gotta get upstairs and then we'll grab somethin' for your Mom like I said...you know she'll like somethin' different' he advised, trying to keep her calm.

Rose rolled her eyes in exasperation and shook her head. Caleb had convinced her earlier that this was a good idea as they could get something unique for her Mothers birthday; however, she was struggling now to shake off her doubts.

'Look, you can stay here and I'll be right back. I promise Gideon ain't gonna harm us' Caleb reassured her again.

'But I just might' Peter Emory smiled mischievously, then grabbed Caleb by the throat and lifted him high in the air effortlessly.

Rose screamed at the sudden appearance of the strange man and was about to run for help; however, Gideon cut off her path and watched the group curiously. Rose stared at the dog cautiously, then turned her attention back to Caleb and the strange man.

'You let go!' Caleb demanded, 'You don't know who I am!'

'Oh I know exactly who you are young Buck and I know my Poppet won't be impressed to find out you've been sent here to spy on her. I think you need to be taught a lesson about the consequences of aligning yourself with the wrong people' Peter advised, then smiled at the worry in the boys eyes when he realised that he knew Gail.

'You're an adult, you ain't allowed to hurt him!' Rose interjected sternly, unable to stand by and do nothing.

Peter laughed loudly and shook his head. 'You're a pretty little thing, completely wasted on this one...Word of advice Dove, stay well covered and keep away from that big 'ol brute Joe and you might just make it to your next birthday unscathed' he smiled knowingly, then tightened his grip on Caleb's neck.

Rose stepped back as though she had been slapped in the face, then let out a startled cry when she felt a rough hand on her shoulder and froze on the spot.

'What in God's name are you youngin's doin' in here?' Abe asked disapprovingly, then glanced at Caleb when he heard a large thud as the boy fell to the floor.

Caleb began coughing and held his throat protectively, as he started frantically around the Wicca Store in search of the man that had assaulted him. 'Where'd he go?' he asked confused at the man's sudden disappearance.

'You ain't the brightest bell of the bunch are you boy?' Abe asked amused, wondering how on earth Caleb had managed to end up on the floor in his undignified position. 'Come on, I better get you both home before you get a hidin'...be thankful I caught you in here and not my Rosie'

Rose stared up at Abe in disbelief at his calmness and went to question his lack of concern over the man who had hurt her friend, when she felt Caleb's hand grip her arm gently.

'Are you gonna tell her we were here?' Caleb asked Abe concerned, covering his throat so Abe could not see the bruise that was beginning to form.

'Ain't my place boy...I ain't stupid enough to get in the middle of your Daddy and my Rosie' Abe laughed, then pushed the children gently out of the Store while he locked up.

'He didn't see him?' Caleb whispered to Rose confused.

'Did we?' Rose asked, doubting what had just happened and made her way to the young girl Stacey who was waiting obediently by Abe's car.

* * *

Lucas sat in his favourite grandfather chair in the main Study of his home, reading the Trinity Guardian and drinking a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee. The past few weeks had been a strain on his patience with having to deal with the pompous ass that his wife had gotten elected as Mayor, and the morning was the only time he was able to truly be at peace before he headed off to work to deal with the reprobates.

Gail was still not herself, she had completely spiralled out of control after Christie's death and her attack on Lucas' candidate Peter had pushed her over the edge; however, she was working on her anger issues, successfully managing to keep her emotions in check when they were at home and Lucas was thankful for her apparent obedience.

Her actions with Peter had caused him a lot of grief and he was still dealing with the aftermath of the mans disappearance. The position she had caught him in on camera had helped with the cover story for the public, all Lucas had to do was insinuate the man had ran away due to the shame of it all; however, Peter's wife would not let the matter go and he had to deal with the sobbing woman visiting his Station every day, in the hopes of an update.

Lucas should be mad at what Gail had done and what he was now having to deal with; however, he was actually impressed with actions, even if it was left to him to clean up her loss of control. His wife was still loyal to him, her desire to be with him had not faltered and although her actions were a clear dig at him, she did not outwardly display any desire to want to leave.

'Give it time' Gail said sarcastically, as she entered the Study with a mug of herbal tea and sat carefully on the arm of his chair.

'You can dream' Lucas retorted, amused that she was finding ways to break through his guard to read his mind and put the newspaper to one side so he could pull her down to sit on his knee.

'Truthfully, I'd love to see your reaction if I ever tried' Gail smiled, pondering over how she would even start to leave him.

Lucas laughed, then took her hand in his and kissed it softly. 'It's safe to assume Harvard would be the first to go, then I'd make my way slowly through all the people that you cared about...I wouldn't hurt you though' he thought out loud.

'You'd just make me watch' Gail said knowingly, then felt a dark desire surge through her and began kissing him passionately.

Lucas loved these sudden changes in her and savoured the taste of her tongue in his mouth. Considering what he had done to her oldest friend, her desire for him had not lessened and their unions had actually intensified. He was about to start removing her robe when he sensed Caleb nearing their position and let out an irritated sigh. 'To be continued' he whispered playfully in her ear, then went to the Kitchen to wait for his eldest Son.

Caleb entered the Study and tried to remain calm when he spotted Gail sitting on his Father's favourite chair.

'You get up to anything interesting after curfew last night?' Gail asked him casually, as she took a sip of her tea and stared curiously at Luke who appeared mesmerised by the lit fireplace.

'No ma'am' Caleb said instinctively, then rushed into the Kitchen before she sensed something was off with him.

'No ma'am?' Lucas asked, amused at the ease in which Caleb had lied. 'So Abe's car outside had nothin' to do with you trespassin' in Goat Town?'

'Shhhh!' Caleb stared at his Father with wide eyes, then moved further into the Kitchen to create more distance between him and Gail.

Lucas laughed at Caleb's concern, then closed the Kitchen door over slightly and moved closer to him. 'I kept her busy last night so she didn't see the car Son...you think I'd allow you to get into trouble for doin' somethin' I authorised?' he asked, proud that Caleb had done what he wanted.

Caleb glanced towards the Study, then relaxed when he heard Luke calling for his Mother and knew that she was preoccupied. When he was confident they would not be disturbed, he pulled the collar of his pyjama top down and allowed his Father to see wound.

Lucas' rage spiked instantly when he saw the bruise on Caleb's neck and he pulled the boy to him. 'You tell me what happened right now' he ordered sternly.

'What happened with what?' Gail asked concerned, heading to the Kitchen with Luke when she sensed the sudden change in her husband. When she spotted the bruise on Caleb's neck she tensed and felt a pain in her chest.

'Don't look at her, look at me. I asked you a question Son' Lucas said in a strong tone, unable to push down his rage due to the concern.

'Let him go' Gail ordered calmly, sensing from the look in Caleb's eyes that he was more scared of his Father right now than the wound.

Lucas tightened his grip on Caleb's arm, annoyed that his boy had not answered him and unable to control his emotions.

'I said let him go Lucas' Gail said again, placing Luke gently on the floor and moving towards her husband.

'Do you know where he was?' Lucas snapped accusingly, knowing this was to do with her sanctuary and became suddenly distrustful of her.

Gail stopped for a moment, then looked at Caleb confused. 'Where was he?' she asked suspiciously.

'Please don't' Caleb pleaded to his Father, not wanting to be the reason why they fought.

Gail sensed his fear and turned towards Lucas suspiciously. 'What did you do now?' she asked irritated, attempting to keep her frustration down.

Lucas turned his attention to Gail and stared defiantly into her eyes, then sensed his Sons worry and forced himself to relax. 'I sent him to Goat Town for an errand and clearly he ran into some trouble' he lied calmly, ensuring his true thoughts were well guarded.

Gail searched his mind for more information; however, he had closed himself off to her and she shook her head in exasperation. 'Let me see it' she ordered warmly, as she turned towards Caleb and inspected his wound. 'What happened Caleb?' she asked concerned, as she bent down and examined his neck carefully.

'I don't know' Caleb said timidly, trying to hide any other thoughts on the matter.

Gail searched his eyes suspiciously, then saw how upset he was and pulled him to her chest lovingly. 'Are you going to deal with this or am I?' she asked Lucas, as she embraced Caleb protectively.

'Oh this is all mine Love' Lucas said calmly and decided a visit to Goat Town was in order.

* * *

Matt Crower stood outside Loris Holt's Boarding House staring up at the place that he once called home, it was surreal how he had allowed himself to get drawn into Caleb's life when he had closed himself off to the world after the death of his family. It saddened him to think about how he threw away all he had back then due to a misguided vendetta against Lucas Buck and his inability to leave things alone.

He still did not trust Lucas and he never would, the man was a parasite that sucked the goodness and purity out of whoever he touched. Matt could not help but wonder how things may have turned out for the people he loved had he have just let his obsession go. His choice to trust a woman that he had only just met had been his downfall, all because she also had a hatred for the man he despised and claimed to be his Mother. There had been no proof and thinking back to that time, he realised how naive and selfish he had been. He had willingly allowed himself to be consumed by his hatred that he became so easy to control and was used as a puppet.

His bad choice had finally given Lucas the way in that he needed with Gail, which he suspected was her downfall. Matt knew of their deal and Billy Peel had informed him of the state Lucas had been in when he brought Gail to the hospital, after she had been stricken by the plague that befell the Town. Upon reflection, the realisation that Gail had finally given herself over to Lucas willingly had been the beginning of the end for him. His hatred for the man engulfed him and it did not matter that she was clearly pushing away Lucas' advances after the act, the thought of him touching her at all had caused Matt to close himself off to his friend and his departure to Juniper had removed her only support system, which had previously helped her keep the monster at bay.

That was all in the past now and he could not change how people's lives had turned out; however, there were people that required his help now and he would be smarter about the way that he approached things. Matt shook off the dark thoughts and took in a deep breath, before heading up to the Boarding House and focusing on the task at hand.

As he entered his old home, the smell of bacon filled the air and he smiled fondly at the thought of Loris' home cooking. He made his way to the Kitchen, smiling at Loris warmly as she stood over the pile of dishes she was cleaning; however, his smile faded when she spotted Billy Peel sat hunched over a bottle of whiskey by the window. Matt stared at Billy with pity for a moment, then remembered how he felt when he lost his wife and his demeanour softened. 'I think you're late for work friend' he said pleasantly, pulling up a chair at the small table.

Billy raised his head slightly when he realised that he was being addressed, then stood up unsteadily and fetched a glass for Matt. 'The crazies will be there whenever I rock up...come one, have one on me' he offered, reaching for the bottle of whiskey.

Matt inhaled deeply at the gesture and forced a smile as he placed his hand over the glass before Billy could pour. 'Bit early for me friend, but you knock yourself out' he advised, then spotted the disapproving look on Loris' face and signalled for her to leave.

Billy just shrugged at the refusal of his offer and refilled his own glass. This had become his morning routine and it was the only way to drown out the sound of Christie's voice in his head.

'Where's Lucy?' Matt asked casually, attempting not to allow his concern to show.

Billy froze when he could not instantly remember where the child was, then relaxed when his mind started to work. 'Day Care on Jackson Street...Selena dropped her off' he shrugged, then picked up his glass again and downed his drink.

'Selena?' Matt asked confused, then shook his head and pulled the bottle away when Billy went to pour himself another drink.

Billy felt a surge of rage flow through him when his drink was taken away and stood up abruptly. 'You got a problem with my woman?' he asked defensively, not realising how hostile his tone was.

'She isn't your woman' Gail said flatly, as the entered the Kitchen and came to Matt's side instinctively.

Billy felt a wave of shame come over him at the sound of her voice, then sat back down quickly and stared at his hands nervously.

Gail let out a small laugh and rolled her eyes at the broken man before her. 'What are you doing here Matt?' she asked curiously, wondering why her best friend was wasting his time here.

Matt subconsciously rubbed her back as she came close and smiled up at her affectionately. He sensed the resentment she held for Billy and he wished she would give the man a break with what he was going through; however, he could never be mad at her. 'You should be resting at home, not concerning yourself with what either of us are doing Mrs Buck' he said sarcastically.

Gail shot him a mock scolding look, then pulled up a chair and sat beside him. 'You think Sheriff Buck let's me rest when I'm at home?' she joked, then gave him a playful slap when he looked at her disapprovingly. 'Seriously though, what are you doing here?' she asked again.

'I was just checking in on our grief stricken Doctor-' Matt started.

'You experiencin' a little deja vu Harvard? You would know all about the guilt of killin' a loved one' Lucas interrupted, as he entered the Kitchen and moved to Billy's side.

Matt caught Gail tense at Lucas' sudden appearance and smiled reassuringly at her. 'I've made peace with my past Sheriff, I can't say your friend is even close to that can you?' he asked calmly, not rising to the mans accusation.

'I've got my friends back...he ain't in any danger of harmin' himself or others, so if he wants a little morinin' pick me up that ain't a problem' Lucas advised, placing his hand reassuringly on Billy's shoulder when he sensed his discomfort.

'A little morning pick me up is acceptable when he has a toddler to care for? Good to know your stance on parenthood Sheriff' Gail interjected, placing her hand on Matt's knee under the table to ensure he kept quiet.

'That ain't his child and should I choose to join him in his current activity, I know my soulmate is more than capable of pickin' up the slack' Lucas advised smugly, then knelt down beside Gail and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Gail smiled at his obvious attempt to rile Matt and shook her head in mock disapproval. 'Maybe one day your soulmate won't be here to pick up the slack...she may just choose to run away with a wealthy Doctor and have a normal relationship, free from all this childish drama' she said sarcastically.

'And maybe her innocent, beautiful Cousin may choose to find solace in the grief stricken husbands arms when she realises the betrayal that has befallen her' Lucas retorted devilishly, then smiled when he saw the look of anger on Gail's face.

'Are you looking to trade me in for a younger model sweetheart?' Gail asked calmly, attempting to keep control of her emotions.

'I'd never do anythin' of the sort. You know you're all I want, but if you do leave then I can't be held responsible for how other people may react' he smiled pleasantly, sensing her rage increasing.

'Billy needs to get some fresh air, being cooped up in here isn't helping' Matt stated, trying to change the subject when he noticed the dark way Gail was looking at Lucas.

'I couldn't give a damn what he needs, I don't want you getting involved' Gail snapped, not taking her eyes off of her husband.

'That actually might not be such a bad idea Love, let the damaged Doctors babysit each other while we focus on our own tasks' Lucas suggested and stroked her stomach in an attempt to get his point across.

Gail had put their little girl on hold with everything that had been going on, and it was only one day until Halloween. She supposed it may be good to let the boys sort themselves while she resumed her investigation and did some planning for Lucas' birthday .

Lucas smiled at her unspoken acceptance of his suggestion, then stood up and gently pulled her up to him. 'Come on Love, let's leave the boys to it and I'll take you for some well deserved breakfast' he advised, then shot Matt a mischievous wink as they left.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Caleb rode through to streets close to his home, attempting to make sense of what had happened the previous night. Lucas had authorised for him to stay home from School and although Gail had insisted on keeping him with her, Caleb wanted to be alone so he could figure out the best way forward.

Lucas had tasked him with finding something in the Wicca Store, as Gail had blocked him out of the place. Caleb was not sure how Gail could stop his Father from entering a building; however, he suspected his Father had sent him instead, so not to cause hostility. Caleb was supposed to have a look around and just report anything that appeared suspicious, he did not expect to find a man held up in there and that caused complications.

Caleb believed he recognised the man, he had appeared in his home once before and he was pretty sure that he was in the picture with Gail when she was younger. Caleb thought the man to be Gail's Father; however, he did not understand how he could be alive. From his own experience, the most plausible answer was that he was not alive and he was like Malcolm or how Merlyn used to be. Dead people appearing was becoming a regular occurrence in his life, so this did not phase him.

The dilemma he was faced with was did he tell his Father about what he saw and risk Gail being angry at him trespassing, or did he keep it to himself and risk his Father being angry about disloyalty. He was in an impossible situation, both of his parents had very bad tempers and not only would they be mad at him, they would be mad at each other and that is what truly scared him.

Caleb knew neither Lucas nor Gail would hurt him, his Father may be a little rough at times; however, he knew that was more to do with being unable to control his emotions when there was a threat to his family, rather than actually wanting to hurt him. Gail was a completely different ball game, she was calm and calculating and you never knew what she was thinking. Her threats would be put across in a sweet way and you would not even know whether she was serious or not.

Gail had made it clear that she would never hurt him unless he tried to hurt her, or their family. She appeared to be struggling with her inner conflicts just like he was and he knew she had their families best interest at heart; however, he had witnessed her darkness and he was not convinced that she would not turn on his Father, should she be pushed far enough.

Caleb wanted no part in his parents fighting, not when they had built such a stable family unit. He had only tried to fulfil his Fathers request as he did not actually think that he would find anything, now he had uncovered a secret that he did not want to know and he was confused about what he should do; therefore, he just continued to ride along aimlessly hoping the right answer would come.

* * *

Matt walked casually down Main Street with Billy, glancing into the Store windows as they passed. He found it strange how businesses in a small Town such as Trinity managed to thrive, when in other places they had been replaced by large Malls. No matter how unnerving Trinity was, it had an old charm to it and Matt had come to realise that there were worse places where he could have ended up.

He turned to the man beside him and let out a knowing laugh as Billy wiped beads of sweat from his forehead. Matt had been in this position many times before and the best cure for a hangover was to sweat it out.

'I swear you're tryin' to kill me here' Billy panted, struggling to catch his breath. As Matt did not drive, they had been walking non stop for close to two hours and Billy did not know if his body could take any more of this.

'You're a grown man who's chased plagues all around the world for the CDC, are you really telling me a little walk is seeing you off?' Matt asked in disbelief, and handed him another bottle of water.

Billy let out a long sigh, then shook his head and took the bottle. 'I appear to have been a lot fitter in those days, now I work behind a desk!' he laughed and guzzled down the water.

'So does Lucas Buck and you don't see him complaining about a few steps' Matt advised sarcastically.

'That man's immortal' Billy joked, then turned towards Matt and shot him a serious look. 'I know what you're tryin' to do and I'm thankful, but I'm not your responsibility you know?'

Matt laughed at the comment and shook his head. He knew he did not need to help Billy, or anyone for that matter; however, it was in his blood and he could not just sit by knowing someone was suffering when he may be able to help. 'Do you ever wonder what your life would've been like had you had left straight after the plague?' he asked curiously, changing the subject.

Billy thought for a moment and laughed. He had the opportunity to travel to Uganda a few months after the plague had hit Trinity, he was all packed and even made it to the run way; however, his misguided feelings for Selena had kept him here and he was now stuck in this place. His life had previously been packed with adventure, intrigue and women used to throw themselves at him. He had one meaningless encounter after another and that was his role in life, as he could not commit when he could be sent to another country at the drop of a hat.

When he had settled down in this sleepy little Town, he acknowledged how empty his relationships with people in his past were; however, now that he was re-evaluating his situation, he realised how much loss he had experienced here and began to wonder whether he should have ever left his previous life at all. The connections he had managed to form with Gail, Selena and Christie were gone and all he was left with was a feeling of emptiness.

Matt glanced at Billy concerned when the man did not speak for several minutes, then placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled warmly at him.

'Life is a pile of shit, whether I'm here or in a foreign country with a gorgeous girl I barely know' Billy finally answered and shrugged.

Matt let out a small laugh and nodded. 'It doesn't get any easier, all we can do is plod along and hope we're doing something that matters'

Billy pondered over the comment, then let out a long sigh and shook his head. 'Man I need a drink'

'Don't we all' Matt acknowledged and continued to walk down the street casually with Billy by his side.

* * *

Lucas sat on the bonnet of his Crown Victoria, staring suspiciously at the Wicca Store not far from his current position. Caleb had not confirmed whether he had made it into the Store last night and he was curious as to why his Son would not want to tell him what had happened.

'Are you gonna loiter out there all day boy? Come in or go away!' Abe called abruptly from the upstairs window of his Antique Store, then began to make his way down to the main area of the Store when his friend got up off of his car.

Lucas entered to Store casually and began scanning the area for any new arrivals. His home was filled with rare antiques that Abe had found him over the years and it had been a while since he had been able concentrate on his collecting hobby.

'Ain't nothin' up front for you boy, you know all the good stuff are out back' Abe advised, as he leaned on the counter and shot Stacey a reassuring smile.

'You still housin' that stray ol' man? I thought you'd have palmed her off onto someone else by now' Lucas stated sarcastically, then shot Stacey a playful wink when she stared at him suspiciously.

'That stray was brought to me to look after by my Rosie, you think she'd approve if I got rid of her?' Abe asked, signalling Stacey to go busy herself somewhere else.

'Your Rosie is very colourful when she doesn't approve, it's a pleasure to see her work' Lucas smiled mischievously and bit his bottom lip devilishly.

Abe inhaled deeply to hold in his anger at the insinuation, then crossed his arms sternly over his chest. 'What do you want boy?' he asked abruptly.

'I'd like to know what my boy was doin' here last night' Lucas said flatly, not entertaining Abe's attitude.

Abe narrowed his eyes at Lucas, then let out a small laugh and shook his head. 'Go ask him, it ain't nothin' to do with me. Although I suspect it had everythin' to do with you' he said knowingly.

Lucas laughed at the accusation and did not bother to deny it. 'So he did get into the Wicca Store?' he asked curiously.

'He didn't tell you?' Abe asked confused, then laughed when he realised how smart the young boy actually was. 'Are you brain dead? You think Rosie would take kindly to knowin' he broke in on your orders? I guess your boy don't want no part of that either'

Lucas regarded his oldest friend irritated for a moment, then let out a long breath. 'He ain't got nothin' to worry about, she'd never turn on him-'

'But she'd turn on you if she thought you betrayed her trust' Abe interrupted and moved closer to his friend. 'I'm gonna point this out once and once only. I know her obsession with that place is weird, I also know her long evenings cooped up in there ain't good for her...why do you think I've been workin' so late boy? You think you're the only one curious about what she's doin' in there?'

Lucas' mouth dropped open at the question and he smiled proudly at his oldest friend. 'You've been watchin' her too'

'Of course I have and I ain't stupid enough to get a young boy to break in after she's gone, if she finds out she'll go spare...you shoulda just used those talents of yours and been done with it' Abe scolded, not believing Lucas had stooped to that level.

Lucas thought about the comment for a moment, then let out a long breath. 'If only my so called talent's worked in there, I'd have no reason to send in the cavalry' he sighed frustrated.

'You can't sense her in there?' Abe asked curiously.

'If I could do you think I'd send my boy in to the firin' line?' Lucas answered bitterly.

Abe suddenly became concerned over what Gail could be doing and how she had managed to shield herself away from the most powerful person that he had ever met. He had been born and raised in Trinity, and accepted the power of the Buck lineage. If Lucas Buck could not sense her, then there was definitely something wrong.

'You might wanna pay a visit to that young girl who your boy dotes over' Abe suggested finally, his concern over Gail overtaking his worry about causing them to fight.

Lucas nodded his thanks to his friend and left the Antique Store quickly. He could not believe he had not considered that Rose may have been with Caleb last night, he thought it was high time he did his duty and escorted the young beauty safely home from School.

* * *

Gail sat on a large bright spotted blanket in a secluded area close to the Trinity River, watching her present company curiously. The days had been pleasant since she had unleashed her darkness and allowed Rosemary to act on her behalf to avenge her oldest friend. Christie had not been grateful, in fact she had been more judgemental than ever in her ghostly state; however, Gail felt good and that was all that mattered in her current condition.

'All this effort is uncalled for you know?' We could've just stopped off for a burger' she advised her unlikely partner, as the woman rummaged in her bright yellow sports car for the small bag she had misplaced.

'Unlike you, I don't have a free pass for gaining weight right now so no, we couldn't just stop off for a burger' Selena snapped, standing up and placing her hands on her hips in frustration at the missing bag.

Gail spotted the small bag full of cutlery beside the bottles of juice Selena had already set down and threw it towards the centre of the blanket, smiling when it made a loud thud. She laughed when Selena turned towards her unimpressed and signalled for the woman to finally sit down. 'Who'd have thought you'd find your culinary true calling when you decided to skip School today' Gail joked when Selena rummaged in the picnic basket and handed her a sandwich.

'Hey, this is as domesticated as I get for the wife of my ex. Be thankful that I've not laced it with something truly terrible' Selena smiled wickedly.

'Good luck with that' Christie said from her position a few yards away and watched her best friend disapprovingly.

Gail disregarded her dead friends comment, as she had been trying to drown her out lately and kept her focus on Selena. She had a lot planned for today; however, it had been an unexpected surprise to get Selena's call and she was intrigued at what this charade was all about. 'What would you do if you weren't a Teacher?' she asked curiously, suspecting that career choice had not been her own.

Selena thought for a moment then laughed, the woman before her was not stupid and it was refreshing not to have to keep up an act around her. 'I guess you've realised getting little cherubs ready for higher education wasn't really my goal in life' she smiled and poured them both a drink.

'I think it's safe to assume you had more intriguing goals before a certain man walked into your life' Gail said knowing, then took a bite of her sandwich.

Selena let out a small laugh and shook her head, it had been a long time since she had thought back to a time before Lucas Buck and she was finding it hard to pin point what she actually wanted before him.

'Well that's disappointing' Gail sighed, reading her mind and becoming bored.

'What did you want before you came back here?' Selena asked defensively, not liking the judgement in her present company's tone.

Gail laughed and picked up her glass of juice. 'What didn't I want? Adventure, success, money-'

'All of which you had already' Christie interjected, unfazed at being ignored.

'You had that if I recall' Selena said casually, remembering how Gail used to boast about her role in Charleston. 'That's all superficial, I wanna know what you truly wanted...I know Lucas tried to seduce you on a number of occasions, but you shot him down. If you weren't looking for the usual girl thing, then what were you aiming for?'

Gail inhaled deeply and ran her hands through her hair, she did not have to search her mind for the answer as it was always there. 'The truth...it's all I ever want' she shrugged, then put down her sandwich and let out a long sigh.

'You say that as though it's that simple-' Selena started.

'Your Father was obsessed with you' Gail interrupted knowingly, not in the mood for games. 'His little girl had grown into a beautiful teenager and he would visit you at night, picturing what he wanted to do to you'

Selena's mouth dropped open at the statement and she stared at Gail uncomfortably. 'What's your point?' she snapped, unable to come up with a lie to counter the comment.

'Gail don't' Christie pleaded, disregarding Selena's question and not wanting to see her friend in this light.

'Had your Father have behaved more appropriately and brought you up better, you may not have your twisted need to impress even the most vile of men...' Gail continued, ignoring the judgement of her dead friend. '...Had my Father have behaved more appropriately when I was younger, I may not have retreated into a fantasy world where I had the perfect family. I may have grown up stable and not turned out to be so twisted myself, willingly pleasing a sociopath and actually enjoying it...The truth is simple Selena, it's what we twist it into that can turn it complicated' she advised and turned her attention to the river, allowing it to calm her sudden feelings of darkness.

Selena pondered over Gail's revelation, not ever remembering the woman indicating something had taken place with her Father. Selena had tried to push down the sexual abuse she had endured as a teenager and at times hated herself for craving her Fathers approval, or the approval of any man. She could not imagine the lovely Gail Buck enduring anything close to what she had and she stared at the woman bitterly.

'I grew up in Foster homes Selena, I was discarded and passed around like an unwanted puppy...You don't think I ever came across a sick pervert who believed it was appropriate to make a move on the young girl that nobody cared for? That it would be a secret that the poor little defenceless girl would never speak of?' Gail asked, as she carefully stood up and walked closer to the riverbank.

'What did you do?' Selena asked intrigued, finally starting to realise that the woman she had believed to be so sweet and innocent may just be as damaged as she was.

'What didn't I do?' Gail smirked wickedly, remembering the first time her darkness had manifested itself when she was 11 years old and hearing her Foster Fathers screams when her true colours were revealed.

Selena felt suddenly drawn to Gail, she had felt the urge to be around her more after the incident with that pig Peter; however, there was something about her now that was calling to her.

'What is this?' Christie asked, not liking Selena latching on to her friend and knowing Gail was not niave.

'What is this Selena?' Gail asked Christie's question openly, growing bored of her time here and wanting to move this along. 'What do you want?'

'I just wanted to see if you would come' Selena said honestly, trying to hide how sad she had become.

'Are you that desperate for a friend?' Gail asked, not hiding the pity in her tone.

Selena inhaled deeply and attempted to disguise her shame, then forced herself to stand tall and regarded Gail head on. 'People always make comments about my actions, my need to be with all men and how I whore around the Town...You think this is how I wanted my life to be?' she asked defensively.

'You hate women Selena-'

'I hate the stupid judgemental housewives of this Town, who think they're better than me!' Selena snapped, unable to control her outburst.

'You think I don't believe I'm better than you?' Gail asked smugly, amused at the woman's honesty.

'You're always saying that you want loyalty-'

'And you can truly give that without making a move on my husband? I know you love him and I know you covet what I have, so how could I ever believe you'd want anything but him? I know I don't' Gail asked seriously, not allowing Selena to shift the focus off herself and thriving on the discomfort that the woman was feeling.

Selena stared wide eyed at Gail for a moment, feeling naked out here with all of her truths out in the open. All she had wanted was some company, when Caleb did not show up for class she did not want to be left out and had made an excuse to leave her class early, in order to try to stay in the fold.

'What do you want Selena?' Gail repeated her earlier question, sensing the woman's hesitation and beginning to lose her patience.

'Love' Selena said honestly without hesitation, then gasped at her slip of the tongue.

Gail let out a long sigh, they were finally getting somewhere. 'His?' she asked bluntly, not taking her eyes off of the river or allowing her darkness to rise at the thought of a potential move on her husband.

'I don't know' Selena said quietly, then stared out into the water in an attempt to calm her nerves. This picnic had taken a serious turn that she had not expected and now she was lost as to what she should do, due to the unpredictable hostile moods of her present company.

Gail inhaled deeply, then let out a small laugh. It appeared that Selena was finally starting to be honest with her and herself, meaning there may just be hope for her yet. 'If you ever make a move on him, what happened to Peter will be a walk in the park compared to what I'll do to you' she said honestly, noticing the waves that were going against the current in the middle of the river and sensing Rosemary's presence near.

Selena nodded obediently, knowing she would never be able to be with the man that she truly loved again without dire consequences and reached down to take Gail's hand in hers. 'I understand' she acknowledged the threat and continued to stare into the water, spotting the shift in the middle of the river.

'Good...now the fun can really begin' Gail said mischievously, then led Selena back to the picnic area and picked up her sandwich.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Rose sat uncomfortably in the front passenger seat of the Sheriff's Crown Victoria, playing nervously with her hands. She had been surprised to find him waiting for her after School finished and she had been unable to think of a reason why she could not accept a ride from him; therefore, here she was, alone with the Sheriff.

It was not that Rose did not like him, she got a warm feeling in her stomach every time he smiled at her and the girls she had been walking out of School with were clearly jealous that he wanted to escort her home; however, the fact that they were alone was strange and she subconsciously tried to block out thoughts of what had happened the previous night.

Lucas sensed Rose's discomfort and smiled, amused at the mixed feelings he could stir up in a girl. Gail would not be impressed with him using his charm on such a young innocent thing; therefore, he would attempt to remain professional and courteous, without playing on the attraction that she did not understand she was feeling yet. 'You're a good girl, your Momma should be proud' he stated pleasantly, as he drove slowly down the empty street.

Rose took in a sharp intake of breath when she was addressed and realised her hope of remaining unnoticed had been stupid. 'My Momma's too busy to be thinkin' about me' she shrugged honestly and continued to stare at her hands nervously.

Lucas let out a small laugh at the comment and continued to watch the road. 'I'm sure that ain't true, a parent is always thinking of their child no matter where they are' he advised, remembering how aware he was of Caleb's presence in the first 10 years of the boys life and having to push his true feelings deep down when Gage was raising his Son, so not to unleash his rage on the man before he was ready.

Rose laughed at the comment and stared out of the front passenger side window casually. 'You're nice, it's good what you do for Caleb but my Momma ain't like that. She's too busy with Joe to worry about what I do' she smiled timidly.

'Joe ain't so bad, I mean he's a little dim but your Momma could do worse' Lucas shrugged, having no feeling's whatsoever about Joe but feeling as though he should appear interested.

'I'll be stayin' well covered and keepin' away from that big ol' brute to make it to my next birthday' Rose repeated the advice she had been given the previous night quietly without realising, and continued to stare aimlessly out of the window.

Lucas narrowed his eyes at the comment and turned towards her curiously. He was aware Joe had a fascination with young girls, the man had never acted out his fantasies; however, he was on Lucas' radar in case he ever tried. Lucas would know if Joe had made a move on Rose and he was sure that the man had not, so her comment was intriguing. He continued to drive down the quiet road, then pulled into the secluded parking lot of a closed Store and turned the engine of the car off.

Rose froze when the car stopped and she glanced around the area, attempting to locate the safest exit should it come to that.

'You think you need to run from me?' Lucas asked amused, then turned around fully to face her. 'Girl I'm your only hope should any bad man come knockin' on your bedroom door, so I'd show me a little trust if I were you'

Rose felt her body begin to tremble uncontrollably and suddenly wanted to cry. She had not meant to repeat the words from the previous night and now she felt as though she had offended the Sheriff.

Lucas disregarded his initial consideration of Gail's feelings and turned on the charm, sensing how upset the girl was. He took Rose's hand in his and gently pulled her closer to him, then stroked her cheek reassuringly. 'You're a beautiful young girl, any boy will be lucky to have your attention you know?' he asked charmingly, staring deep into her sad eyes.

Rose felt the familiar stir in her stomach and began to get lost in his eyes.

'I have my girl and she is fierce, you need to toughen up like her if you're gonna give all those boys a run for their money' Lucas advised, sensing her feelings towards him and knowing better than to allow them to take form.

'I don't want no boys, I have Caleb' Rose said honestly, before she could stop herself.

'Yes you do and that one dotes over you somethin' terrible' Lucas laughed warmly, then placed his hand on her knee softly and continued to look deep into her eyes. 'My boy means a lot to me and I know he'll look after you as much as he can as he cares for you, so I'll look out for you in ways that he can't yet. Do you understand?' he asked her seriously.

Rose sensed that he was referring to Joe and felt a relieved breath leave her body. 'I didn't mean nothin'-' she started.

'Of course you did, but I don't think the words were quite your own' Lucas interrupted knowingly and waited for her to open up to him.

Rose felt a strange burning sensation within her and could not hold in the truth any longer. 'We didn't mean to do anythin' there, we don't want Gail to be mad...he just showed up and grabbed Caleb, then Abe came and he was gone!' she blurted out uncontrollably, then quickly held her hand against her mouth to silence herself.

Lucas smiled reassuringly at her, then leaned back in his seat. It had taken no effort at all to give her a little push to get the ball rolling and she had opened up as he knew she would. 'Who grabbed Caleb? Who disappeared?' he asked calmly, feeling his excitement rising at the thought of what he was going to do to the person who had dared to touch his Son.

Rose stared at the Sheriff apologetically for a moment, then sat back in her seat and shrugged. 'I've never seen him before, he was just there one minute and then gone the next...Please don't tell Caleb I told you, I promised I wouldn't and he's gonna be mad' she said sadly.

Lucas gently took her chin in his hand and stroked her cheek softly. 'This is our little secret' he advised reassuringly and leaned in closer. 'You keep this visit to yourself and I'll make sure no one ever hurts you'

Rose nodded obediently, then let out a relieved breath when he started up the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. She had no idea what this had been about; however, she felt safer now that the Sheriff appeared to be on her side.

* * *

Caleb had been riding around for hours and his head was no clearer than when he had started. He stopped on the corner of Wiltshire and Main, then stared up at the sky in frustration with himself for not being able to think of a solution to his problem. Suddenly a strong gust of wind blew his bicycle to the ground, he cursed out loud and knelt down to pick it up, then narrowed his eyes suspiciously when he spotted the large cemetery further down the road and automatically headed towards it.

It had been a while since he had visited this place, Gail used to bring him here on a monthly basis to tend to his Mothers grave; however, due to her pregnant state she had been concerned with other things, meaning their tradition had been placed on hold for the foreseeable future. Caleb could not believe he had forgotten about this place and cursed himself for not riding here this morning. He did not know whether he would find any answers here, but it was as good a place as any to start.

Caleb left his bicycle outside of the cemetery and entered it warily. The place was deserted, it was sad to see and Caleb wondered how many loved ones had been forgotten about here. He shot Gage's grave a look of disdain, then spotted his Mothers grave in the distance and smiled.

'I wonder how he feels about the looks you give him, after he raised you for 10 years of his life' Merlyn pondered out loud, as she came from behind Caleb and knelt down beside her Father's grave.

'He hurt you Merly-' Caleb started to explain, when he realised she was sticking up for Gage.

'Everybody hurts everybody, but life still goes on' Merlyn shrugged sadly, resigning herself to never being able to tell her Brother the truth of her death and hoping her Father did not hold that against her.

Caleb thought about the the comment for a moment, then spotted Gail's parent's graves and began walking towards them.

Merlyn saw the shift in his attention and followed him curiously. He had no reason to be interested in Gail's parents and his lack of attention on her was strange. 'Are you alright?' she asked him concerned.

'Did you ever meet them?' Caleb asked curiously, staring at Peter Emory's grave cautiously.

'I met Gail when we were both little, a few years after her parent's had died. Those two were before my time' Merlyn advised and placed a loving hand on her Brothers shoulder.

'I wonder what he was like' Caleb pondered to himself.

'Her Daddy?' Merlyn asked curiously, then tried to change the subject. 'Her Momma was beautiful, she liked to sing a lot around the house I believe-'

'She also liked to frolic around with the resident plumber while my Father was at work and I was left in the garden by myself' Gail interrupted bluntly, as she appeared behind the two of them.

Caleb let out a loud gasp and took a step closer to his Sister. 'What are you doin' here?' he asked, trying to remain cool.

'When I saw your bike abandoned carelessly outside the gates I got worried, what are you both doing at my parent's graves?' Gail asked suspiciously, looking from one to the other and wondering who would crack first.

'We were visitin' our Momma's grave, is that a crime?' Merlyn asked defensively, sensing her Brother was trying to hide his true motive from their Cousin.

'Is that true Caleb?' Gail asked him outright, knowing he had not mentioned his Mother for months.

Caleb thought for a moment, then took a deep breath and stood tall. 'No ma'am' he answered honestly and waited for the fallout.

'I appreciate your honesty, clearly it's hard to come by' Gail said as she folded her arms over her chest and shot Merlyn a disapproving glance, then turned her full attention to Caleb. 'Now what are you really doing here?'

Caleb let out a long sigh and decided to continue to be honest. 'I was tryin' to figure out-'

'Come on Gail, I'm bored! Family time can resume later' Selena called impatiently from outside of the cemetery gates.

Gail rolled her eyes at the interruption, then smiled warmly at Caleb and ruffled his hair. 'It appears your Sister is willing to help you figure out whatever you need, seen as she's happy to lie for you. if you need me just holler and I'll be there' she smiled warmly, then placed a soft kiss on his forehead and headed back to Selena now that she knew he was alright.

'What was he like?' Caleb asked before she was out of ear shot.

'Cruel...' Gail answered honestly, knowing exactly who he was referring to '...but he's my Father' she shrugged, then shot him a wink before heading out of the cemetery.

'You wanna tell me what's goin' on?' Merlyn asked concerned.

Caleb let out a long sigh, then leaned in closer to her Sister and whispered to her quietly.

* * *

Selena smiled smugly in front of the frumpy young woman before her, she did not know whether it was the excitement over challenging the women who spread vicious rumours about her or just unburdening her usual well hidden emotions; however, she had never felt so alive and empowered.

'You think this is proper, comin' up to me like this and admittin' to having sex with my husband?' the young woman said angrily, clearly trying to hide her true hurt feelings.

Gail had watched the same scene four previous times with amusement, always curious about how they would react. Selena would locate the women who believed it was acceptable to continuously put her down and spread rumours about her, then she would confront them as Gail had told her to and they would go off on a tangent trying to defend their apparent perfect men. This exercise was not just to force Selena to let go of all of her past transgressions, it was to make the other women wake up and see who they were truly giving their loyalties too.

'-He's a good hard workin' man and you tempted him away like so many other men, you're just a whore and a homewrecker!' the upset woman screamed.

'Well, that's not exactly true is it?' Gail chimed in calmly, like she had the four other times.

The young woman became confused over the Sheriff's wife siding with the woman who was known as a slut, she tried to think of an answer to the question she had been asked; however, her mind just went blank.

'You can't answer as you know the truth' Gail said pleasantly, as she gently pushed Selena to one side and stood in front of the woman. 'Who's the bigger whore and homewrecker? The drunk young woman who's craving some tenderness and comfort, or the married man who takes advantage of the situation and temps her with promises of love and care? The married man who would return back home smelling of the other woman and still expecting his devoted wife to give herself over to him, knowing it was not her that had turned him on' Gail sighed knowingly, forcing her to re-evaluate her life.

A lone tear ran down the young woman's cheek as the words sank in and she realised that her husband had destroyed the life they had made with their three children. She felt ashamed for wanting him, ashamed for giving herself over to him on all those nights that she knew he had been with someone else. How could she be so willing please him when he had treated her in such a bad way?

'Because you love him and you don't know any other way' Gail whispered soothingly as she read her mind, then wiped away the tear rolling down her cheek. 'For the sake of your little girl, you need to be strong...Would you want her to be treated with such disrespect?'

'No' the young woman answered sadly, shaking her head slowly.

'Would you want her to be pining over some loser, feeling ashamed because she had given her all and feeling responsible for what he had done to her?' Gail asked calmly.

'God no' the young woman said honestly and felt a strange feeling stir within her.

'Then don't be sad or ashamed, be angry' Gail said in a sweet tone, as though this was the most normal conversation in the world.

'Angry?' the young woman asked confused.

'Enraged' Gail smiled devilishly and released her darkness as she had done so previously.

The young woman felt a fire light within her and it burned away all of her previous emotions. She was furious and she needed to find her husband right now, to confront him about what she knew.

Selena watched as the woman stormed away from them, clearly in search of her husband and shook her head at Gail. 'You give your other half a run for his money' she laughed amused at the young woman's misery.

'That's the plan' Gail smiled mischievously and linked Selena's arm as they walked down the deserted road together.

* * *

Merlyn was not comfortable with this, she could not believe their bad luck when Caleb opened up to her about who he had seen and she cursed her Cousin for keeping secrets. Peter Emory was not a good man, when she was dead she had found out about the things he had done to his family and the thought of him being around now sickened her.

'You're mad at me' Caleb said quietly, as they sneaked into the Wicca Store through the back entrance like he had done the previous evening.

'I'm not mad at you Caleb, I just wish you would've let Lucas stumble across this himself rather than breakin' in on his orders and gettin' yourself into this mess' Merlyn snapped, then entered the main area of the Wicca Store and surveyed her surroundings.

Caleb glanced around the room nervously and kept close to his Sister, Gail's Father did not appear to like him very much and he did not want to get caught out by him again.

'You shouldn't have returned then young Buck' Peter said from the stairs, amused at his present company, then turned his attention towards the girl who should still be dead and shook his head in mock scorn. 'Now, now, what have we got here? Gage Temple's simpleton with Lucas Buck's prodigy, it ain't even my birthday yet' he smirked wickedly.

'Oh and what?' Merlyn asked irritated, standing tall confidently and crossing her hands over her chest disapprovingly. 'You ain't gonna do anythin' to us, Gail would have your hide if you even dared'

'I dared last night, just look at his neck' Peter advised casually, smiling at his handy work.

'You got caught out and reacted badly, ain't that what you used to do to Gail when she was younger?' Merlyn asked knowingly, remembering all of the stories she had heard.

Peter felt his anger growing and moved closer to the pair. 'Don't you dare talk about my little girl-'

'If you weren't worried about how she'd react to what you did to her Step Son, you'd have found a way to let her know he was here last night...I guess you ain't as strong as you like to make out' Merlyn laughed, knowing better than to show fear in the face of a bully.

Caleb watched as his Sister goaded the ghost of his Step Mom's dead Father and felt a new affection for her. 'Why does she keep you here if she thinks you're cruel?' he asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

'She called me cruel?' Peter asked confused, hurt by the comment.

'You seriously think you aren't?' Merlyn asked in disbelief.

'I ain't as cruel as his Daddy, look what he did to you' Peter snapped, knowing Caleb was not aware of who really killed his Sister.

'Gage ain't my Daddy' Caleb advised defensively.

'Never said he was' Peter smirked, then suddenly disappeared.

'what did he mean Merly?' Caleb asked as he glanced around the room frantically, then took a step back when his eyes fell on the open front door.

'Who you talkin' to Son?' Lucas asked suspiciously, unimpressed at the boys presence here without his permission.

'How long have you been there?' Merlyn interrupted quickly, trying to establish what the best course of action was to protect her Brother.

'Long enough to know that we ain't alone Merly Ann' Lucas advised, then stepped further into the Wicca Store and surveyed the room.

Lucas knew Gail would not be happy with his presence here; however, after dropping Rose off home he had decided that his concern over what happened to his Son trumped her feelings, and knew she could not hold that against him. Finding Caleb back here when the boy was still keeping secrets from him caused his rage to stir and he approached his Son slowly. 'You gonna tell me what's goin' on?' he asked sternly, not allowing Caleb to think he had any choice in the matter.

'Leave him alone' Merlyn interjected protectively, trying to get the attention onto her.

When Lucas continued to stare at Caleb dominantly, Caleb could not help but glance at the stairs where Peter had been and felt a shadow of dread fall over him when his Father smiled devilishly.

'Upstairs it is then' Lucas smirked, happy that his Son had finally given something up and headed towards the old wooden stairs that lead to his Mothers old office. He had not been up there was decades and he felt a small surge of electricity flow through him as he placed his foot on the first stair.

The sound of the telephone ringing on the counter beside the till caught everybody's attention and they all looked towards the sound confused. Suddenly Merlyn's mobile telephone began ringing and she looked at Lucas concerned, before moving her phone to her ear. 'Hello?' she asked nervously, still holding Lucas' gaze as the other phone rang.

'Tell my husband that it's in his best interest to pick up the telephone, unless he wants his Deputy to have a brain aneurysm' Gail said sweetly, then terminated the call.

'Gail said-'

'I got it' Lucas cut her off, then inhaled deeply as he headed towards the counter and picked up the telephone.

Caleb watched cautiously as Lucas placed his head in his hands while Ben was frantically explaining something over the phone.

'Five women did what?' Lucas snapped in disbelief, then shook his head in exasperation and slammed down the telephone.

Merlyn shot Caleb a glance which signalled him to remain silent, then took a step closer to Lucas. Before she had a chance to say anything, he held up his hand to silence her and signalled for them both to follow him.

'Looks like the women of my Town have gone crazy' Lucas sighed in frustration, then pushed the pair out of the Wicca Store gently and slammed the door angrily on the way out.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Gail sat comfortably in Lucas' chair behind the desk in his office, tapping her nails on the hard oak desk softly while her chin rested in her hand. She had not bothered hiding her little social experiment, knowing her husband would sense her fingerprints all over this one, she had just came straight to the Sheriff's Station with Selena and was waiting patiently for her husbands arrival, knowing he would expect an explanation.

The amusing thing about the whole situation was that she had no explanation, she had been bored lately with the seriousness of her concerns for her little girl and Selena had also been bored; therefore, this little impromptu game had started quite suddenly and she had found herself intrigued with the possibilities of this social experiment. Gail had to admit that the results were much more than what she could have predicted and she was impressed with her females for taking a stand.

'Is this really what you want your life to be?' Christie asked from the corner of the room judgmentally.

'My life is just peachy' Gail answered her sarcastically, ignoring the confused look Selena gave her from across the room and staring at the office door eagerly.

Lucas entered the Sheriff's Station with Caleb and Merlyn in tow, he instantly spotted Matt and Billy with Ben then gave off a frustrated laugh. 'I guess the whole gang is together' he said sarcastically, in an attempt to hide his anger and approached Ben slowly.

Ben watched his boss cautiously and glanced at Matt and Billy for some assistance. He let out a quiet sigh of relief when Matt cut Lucas off before he reached him and took a few steps back towards Floyd, hoping both men would figure this out without him.

'Billy and I found the children in the street crying, the scene inside was an utter mess' Matt stated, trying to figure out whether this was Lucas' doing or not.

Lucas sensed his distrust and laughed in disbelief. 'If you only knew what I was dealin' with on a daily basis Harvard-' he started, then sensed the intrusion in his office and abruptly left Matt mid sentence, feeling a strong urge to confront the intruder. He paused outside of his office, choosing to review the situation before he went in guns blazing and deciding to make his way to the cells down the corridor, then glanced through the small window at the five women locked up in separate cells.

There was something strange about this picture, the women did not appear to be afraid or crying as his townspeople would usually react in such a situation, they were all laughing and joking together as though they were at some tea party and this was just a regular rendezvous. Lucas inhaled deeply in exasperation when one of the women waved at him playfully, then made his way to his office. When he entered he shook his head at his wife who was the picture of innocence sitting behind his desk, then closed the door behind him to enable them privacy. He sensed Selena stood cautiously in the corner behind him; however, she was not worth a second thought and he knew the guilty party was sat comfortably in front of him, smiling her beautiful smile back at him.

'No welcoming gesture soulmate? I'm hurt' Gail said in mock sadness, then smiled devilishly at him when he shook his head in disapproval.

'You've been a bad girl Mrs Buck' Lucas advised knowingly, taking a few steps forward towards her.

'Would you have me any other way Master Buck?' Gail said teasingly, then got up carefully and closed the distance between them.

Lucas watched as she moved in front of him and rested her behind on his desk. A pure beauty radiated off of her and if you did not know her, you would be fooled in thinking that she could not hurt a fly. 'Oh but I do know you Love' Lucas whispered as he sensed she was reading his thoughts and allowed her access for now.

Gail smiled amused at the game he was playing, then took his hand in hers and brought it to her lips. 'I know you too soulmate, you were snooping where you don't belong' she advised, sensing instantly when he had entered the Wicca Store earlier.

'And you've been meddling in things that are none of your business, or would you have me believe those women snapped all by themselves and assaulted their husbands?' Lucas asked sarcastically, knowing she had done something.

'I should go' Selena said from the corner, not wanting to get caught up in Lucas' wrath.

'Stay. There's nothing out there for you but that broken man you've been opening your legs for' Gail laughed cattily, not taking her eyes off of her husband.

'That broken man is my friend who lost a woman that he cared for, you should cut him some slack' Lucas suggested calmly.

'I should rip his throat out' Gail said casually and smiled sweetly at her husband.

Lucas inhaled deeply and licked his lips subconsciously, this behaviour of hers was not good; however, it pulled at the dark side of him that craved her madness.

'Oh we're all mad down here lover' Gail smiled wickedly, then pulled him too her for a passionate kiss.

Selena watched the pair in disbelief, finally understanding how damaged they both were. She had her issues which made her a little crazy; however, these two were downright insane.

Lucas savoured the taste of her, forcing his tongue inside of her mouth. He sensed that she wanted to take control; however, he would not allow that and he dared her to challenge his authority. 'What did you do Gail?' he asked finally when he broke free of their embrace, satisfied that her colourful behaviour would not be directed at him.

'I didn't hurt anybody if that's what you're insinuating Lucas' she answered playfully, trying to hold in her amusement at his inability to break through her barrier and read her mind.

'You're not playin' fair...I trust you enough to let you in, maybe I should be concerned that you don't give me the same courtesy' Lucas said in mock hurt.

Gail could not hold in her laughter at the statement and shook her head knowingly. 'You don't want to read my thoughts, you want to hear the words come out of my mouth...You forget I know how much you get off on my conflicted morality of late'

Lucas laughed and stroked her cheek proudly. 'You do know me well don't you?' he asked affectionately, then turned her around gently and started pulling up her skirt slowly, running his fingers over her smooth skin as he went.

'I really should go-' Selena started when it became evident what was happening.

'I said stay' Gail ordered calmly, sensing how turned on her husband was and wanting to make it crystal clear how little Selena meant to him.

Lucas let out low satisfied breath, then knelt down and ran his hands up the back of Gail's thighs slowly. He nipped at her skin playfully, before pulling down her panties and standing back up. 'I'll ask again, what did you do Mrs Buck' he whispered in her ear, then kissed the back of her neck softly.

'Nothing I'm sure you haven't done on occasion' Gail said quietly and pushed her behind back into his hard manhood.

'I'd never openly turn five women against their husbands' he advised, whilst caressing her behind teasingly.

'But you'd whisper a suggestion in their ear and send them on their way to see how they reacted' Gail whispered quietly, then let out a loud moan as she felt him enter her.

Lucas smiled when he realised she had not forced the women's hand, she had given them the ammunition to uproot their world; however, she had allowed them to choose their own path freely without forcing instruction and those women had used their own free will to do what they did. The thought of her working like he would made his desire intensify and he could not get enough of her. He pushed himself as far inside of her as he could and bit down hard on her neck savagely, unable to control his animal like urges.

It did not matter that they were not alone in his office, to him there was only the two of them in this intimate embrace and he would have her how he wanted her, fully dominating the act and pounding in an out of her to release his pent up desires.

* * *

Merlyn sat with Matt in the reception area of the Sheriff's Station, staring at her watch impatiently. She wanted to get out of here with Caleb so she could figure out what they were going to do about Peter; however, she could not do that under the watchful eye of Lucas Buck.

When Ben had told her that Gail was here, she had hoped to speak to her discreetly and determine the best way to address the matter they found themselves in. She suspected Gail would not react well to their discovery; however, it could not be worse than Lucas and she knew her Cousin would keep her cool while she came up with a plan.

The problem was Lucas had disappeared into his office over 30 minutes ago and Gail was nowhere to be seen, this made her initial hope appear unlikely and Merlyn was starting to get agitated. 'This is just a waste of time, let's go' she ordered Caleb impatiently, not willing to wait around any longer and ignoring Matt's concerned look.

'Yes, let's go' Gail said sweetly, as she came from the inner office with Selena by her side and regarded Merlyn warmly.

Caleb looked at them both with wide eyes and suddenly did not want to leave the protection of his Father.

'The boy stays here, who knows how many unstable women are out there wantin' to lash out on unsuspectin' boys' Lucas said sarcastically, sensing his Son's discomfort and wanting to keep him close.

'You think I'd let anything happen to him?' Gail asked in mock offence.

'I think I want him here with me, let us hash out once and for all where those marks came from on his neck' Lucas said dominantly, warning her not to challenge him.

Gail sensed his stance and shook her head in exasperation. 'Suit yourself, but keep out of my property the both of you' she ordered knowingly, then took Merlyn's hand in hers and waved reassuringly at Matt.

'I ain't sayin' nothin'' Caleb advised defensively, not wanting to get between his parents.

'We'll see how much you open up after we interview our female vigilante's back there' Lucas stated, then led Caleb to the cells to show him what his Step Mom was capable of.

* * *

'You left Caleb with him willingly' Merlyn snapped moodily, after Gail had dropped Selena off.

'I left a Son with his Father, knowing I'd get more sense out of my loyal Cousin when we're alone' Gail advised calmly, not allowing Merlyn's childish stance to cause her to lose focus.

Now that her game had played out, her head was finally becoming clear and she was starting to think straight again. She was concerned as to what would cause Lucas to betray her trust and enter the Wicca Store without her permission, not to mention why Merlyn and Caleb had been with him. 'Is there something I should know?' she asked finally, choosing not to prolong this matter any longer

'If you cared you wouldn't have left him' Merlyn accused annoyed.

'With his Father Merlyn!' Gail snapped, unable to hold in her impatience with the girl. 'I thought you'd outgrown this childish jealousy of Lucas, but clearly I was wrong'

'You're seriously gonna judge my behaviour right now?' Merlyn asked defensively, in disbelief of the comment.

Gail let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head. 'And what's that supposed to mean? You don't approve of my little experiment?'

'I couldn't give a damn about an experiment, nor do I know what you're talkin' about. I'm talkin' about your Father held up in the Wicca Store, he's a bad man Gail!' Merlyn snapped irritated, unable to hide her anger at the situation they were all in because of her Cousin.

Gail had been too distracted with her own game to realise that her Father had been spotted, her thoughts instantly went to the bruise on Caleb's neck and she cursed out loud for not seeing this sooner. 'Does Lucas know?' she asked and turned the car towards Goat Town.

Merlyn shook her head at how everything came back to Lucas Buck and let out an irritated laugh. 'I'm not talkin' about Lucas, I'm talkin' about us' she sighed.

'But I'm talking about Lucas and I need you to push your childish tendencies to one side for just one second and focus...Does Lucas know?' Gail asked again, more impatiently than before.

Merlyn regarded her Cousin cautiously when she sensed a change in her, then sat back uncomfortably in her seat. 'Unless Caleb tells him, I don't think so' she shrugged.

'Unless Caleb tells him...his Father' Gail laughed nervously, then put her foot down hard on the gas pedal and willed her car to move faster.

* * *

Lucas took the quickest route to Goat Town after they had interviewed the women in his cells, Ben had disapproved of his decision to allow Caleb to sit in; however, the women were stable enough and were strangely well behaved in the company of a child. He supposed it was their maternal instinct, it was hard for a woman to misbehave around a child especially if they were a Mother themselves. Caleb's presence in the room just made the interviews run more smoothly and he was proud of his boy for not reacting to the reality of what those women had done.

'I don't wanna be here' Caleb advised moodily, with his arms crossed over his chest.

'You did good back there Son, don't spoil that now' Lucas said flatly, not entertaining his Son's childish mood.

'I told you I ain't got nothin' to say!' Caleb snapped.

'Oh but you have somethin' to show me and I don't understand why you're hidin' it so much, when whoever is in there clearly wants to hurt you' Lucas said in disbelief, then pulled up outside of the Wicca Store and shook his head in irritation when he saw the blood red Mustang parked in front of Abe's Antique Store.

'Don't make me' Caleb pleaded, feeling uneasy at the sight of Gail's car.

Lucas let out a long sigh, then got out of his car and signalled for Caleb to follow him, disregarding the boys plead. He approached the Wicca Store confidently and kicked open the door dominantly, unfazed by his wife's presence. He was going to find out once and for all what was going on, he would deal with his wife at a later time.

'Well that's not very nice' Gail said as she carefully placed a book on the shelf in the middle of the Store, then turned to face her husband.

'I thought you would be next door with Abe and Luke' Lucas advised, unimpressed by her calm demeanour.

'You thought wrong' Gail advised bluntly, then crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him defiantly.

'You think I won't rip this place apart with you in it?' Lucas asked, unable to hide his irritation of her current stance.

'I think you better respect the contents of this Store, or we will seriously fall out' Gail warned calmly, not allowing her darkness to take hold at his insensitive tone.

Lucas let out a small laugh, then grabbed Caleb's arm and pushed him towards Gail. 'I want an answer right now and you are gonna give it Son. Who else is here?' he asked angrily.

Caleb looked from Gail to Lucas, then back at Gail. He did not know which one of them he should side with and he felt his own darkness begin to rise within him.

'Bullying your own Son, what great parenting skills you have sweetheart' Gail said coldly, not liking the way Lucas was acting.

'Either he tells me, or his dark half takes control and tells me out of self preservation. Either way, my boy will give me the answer I want' Lucas advised, not rising to her insult.

Gail laughed in disbelief at his logic, then sensed Caleb's darkness and pulled him to her reassuringly, not wanting him to deal with this pressure. 'Just ask me outright and be done with it, this has got nothing to do with Caleb and you know it' she snapped irritated.

Lucas knew she would not have allowed Caleb's darkness to take hold, not with how hard she struggles to control her own and this way his Son would not feel like he was betraying either of them. 'Go to your Sister next door, she's waitin' for you' Lucas advised Caleb reassuringly, then approached Gail slowly and stroked her large stomach softly. He would not ask her outright, he should not have to. They had a mutual understanding of what needed to be shared in their relationship to keep it strong and this had surpassed the realms of turning a blind eye.

'You have Malco-' she started to explain.

'It's Peter ain't it?' Lucas interrupted angrily, then ran his hand through his hair in irritation.

'As I was saying' Gail continued calmly, not allowing his reaction to unnerve her. 'You have Malcolm and I've accepted that'

'The man is a parasite who would happily kill me and hurt my boy, you think this is just a case of acceptance?' he asked in disbelief.

'We have a colourful lineage you and I...I mean considering your Father wants to hurt me and kill our unborn Daughter, I'd say that I've been more than understanding of your families misgivings' Gail explained nonchalantly.

Lucas let out a small laugh and shook his head, he could not believe that she was trying to show some logical reasoning for her decision to hide her Father out here.

'Well it wasn't really hiding, you knew he was back a few months ago-' she began, sensing his thoughts.

'And you said you'd deal with it' Lucas said sternly, not bothering to hide his thoughts from her right now.

'You said you'd take care of Malcolm' Gail shrugged and stroked his chest softly in an attempt to calm his anger.

'Malcolm doesn't bother you anymore-' Lucas started, stepping away from her touch.

'But he bothers you doesn't he?' Gail asked knowingly, as she watched her husband cautiously.

Lucas inhaled deeply at the comment, remembering each time Malcolm reared his nasty head to laugh at him when Gail stepped out of line and began to pace the main area of the Wicca Store. If this place was not so heavily warded, his Father would have had a field day coming in and pointing out his lack of control over his own wife right now.

'My Father doesn't bother you, can't we just leave it at that?' Gail asked quietly when Lucas remained silent for a few minutes.

'He hurt Caleb Love' Lucas said finally, pushing down his rage and putting her lack of good judgement down to her heightened emotions of late.

Gail spotted his demeanour soften and approached him slowly, then took his hand in hers and kissed it softly. 'I'll handle that' she advised sweetly, leaning into his hand as he stroked her cheek affectionately.

'Oh you gave me a choice this mornin' Darlin' and I told you that this was all mine to deal with, so I will handle it and I'll do it my way' Lucas advised dominantly, then placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Gail stared deep into his eyes and felt herself become agitated. 'It's alright sweetheart, I've got this. You've got enough on your plate with those crazy women in your cells' she forced a smile, attempting to remain in control of her emotions and shift his focus.

'Those women ain't goin' nowhere, but Peter is...I hope you've hidden him well Love, it's on now' Lucas stated amused, then stepped past his wife and started heading for the stairs.

'You do this and Malcolm is fair game' Gail warned calmly, knowing she was unable to restrain her husband in her current condition.

'You go after him and you risk our Daughter' Lucas advised, knowing the powers his family had served throughout the years would not take kindly to her threat.

'So what else is new...this is on you' Gail stated coldly, then left him alone in the Wicca Store knowing he had made his choice.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Caleb sat on the side porch of his home, staring out into the extravagant garden before him. Gail had not returned home last night after she had stormed out of the Wicca Store, he gathered that she had taken Luke and decided to stay with Abe as she was mad at him for starting this stupid situation.

'You didn't start it Son, you just brought it out into the open which is where it needed to be. I should've realised that ass was still around and snuffed him out months ago, before your Step Mon had a chance to get used to his presence' Lucas sighed, as he wandered onto the porch wearing just a pair of trousers and welcomed the cool morning air on his bare chest.

'Is she mad at us?' Caleb asked quietly, annoyed at himself for not being able to fix the matter yesterday without getting his parents involved. He had known it would end up this way when they found out and he had tried his best to prevent this.

'She's mad at me and the world I suppose' Lucas shrugged and took a long sip of his coffee, as he sat down on the chair beside his Son and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

'Why would she be mad at the world?' Caleb asked confused at the answer.

Lucas looked out into his garden and smiled at the flowers Gail had planted previously to brighten up the place, prior to Christie's death. The flowers signified a happier time for her, before everything had became complicated.

Although Gail had found ways to close herself off to him mentally, Lucas was not weak and he had been able to read her mind on occasion; however, he had chosen to allow her some space and privacy to work through her feelings. 'All she see's is black these days, it's no wonder she's trying to find amusement in whatever crosses her path' he said casually to himself, as the dark rain clouds above gave a dull rumble and soft rain began to fall.

Caleb thought about the comment for a moment, then turned towards his Father and addressed him seriously. 'Is she alright?' he asked concerned, realising this was to do with more than just Peter Emory.

'Is anybody ever really alright?' Lucas asked sarcastically, amused at the question and then ruffled Caleb's hair playfully. 'Do you remember what today is Son?'

Caleb stared up at his Father confused, then realised that he had been so distracted by Christie's death and Gail's moods recently that today had not even crossed his mind previously. 'Happy Birthday' he said apologetically and cursed his family for being so complicated.

'Thank you Son' Lucas smiled and let out a long sigh at the thought of what today was going to throw at him.

* * *

Gail sat on the large living room couch beside Stacey and Luke, glancing around at the bowls of candy spread throughout the room. Her Uncle Abe had never shown any interest in this occasion, she suspected his sudden interest was due to the young girl beside her and it made her smile to know he was happy with his recent company.

'I wanna be a witch' Stacey said confidently, as she twisted her fingers in Gail's long brown hair and smiled when she made a ringlet.

'I already am and maybe one day you will be to' Gail smiled warmly at her, then reached for Luke and resting him carefully on her knee.

'No big fireworks or party for tonight?' Abe asked curiously, as he came down the stairs with Rocky and combed his thinning hair.

'I'm about ready to pop and I couldn't really give a damn about celebrating anything with my husband right now' Gail advised calmly, forcing her smile to remain when she spotted Stacey watching her and reaching down to stroke her Rocky when he tried to get her attention.

'Oh come on Rosie, I'm sure you stayin' here was punishment enough for him and he's only lookin' out for you' Abe tried to reason knowingly. 'He got you that dog didn't he? And you got Luke. The boy ain't all that bad you know?'

Gail took in a deep breath in an attempt to calm her irritation, then glanced up at her Uncle Abe sweetly. 'He's your oldest friend and its understandable that you'd want to defend him. Why don't you do something for his birthday if you give that much of a damn? Right now, I have other things to concern myself with than catering to Lucas Buck' Gail stated sternly, then placed Luke on the floor and headed to the Kitchen for some peace.

* * *

Lucas stood outside of the Wicca Store watching the workmen fix the door he had kicked in on the previous evening. He had scoured the building from top to bottom last night and found no trace of Peter Emory, indicating his Love had hidden him away somewhere beyond his reach. Lucas was now contemplating holding out in Abe's Antique Store for a few hours, guessing Gail could not hide her Father for long and knowing she would want to get back to her usual tasks.

What he did find in the Wicca Store was a journal that Gail had started writing, he had noticed a lot of the pages were filled in and he had a strong urge to read it; however, he had kept his curiosity at bay and decided that would be a true invasion of her privacy, which would be a betrayal. 'See Love, I ain't all bad' Lucas said casually, not taking his eyes off of the workmen.

Gail was shocked that he had noticed her approach when she had shielded her presence from him and shook her head at his arrogance.

'Your thoughts are fair game now Darlin', especially with who you've been hidin'' Lucas advised calmly, turning towards her and taking in a deep breath when he saw how radiant she looked.

'It's nice to know you haven't lost your game soulmate, I was beginning to think I'd surpassed you' Gail said sarcastically.

'Never in life Love' Lucas laughed then pulled her to him and kissed her passionately, knowing she would not pull away while they were in public.

'Nicely played, how was our bed without me in it...cold I assume' she smiled sweetly, annoyed that he had not changed his stance on locating her Father.

'Not as cold as Abe's spare bedroom I'm sure' Lucas smiled calmly, not allowing her to cause a reaction from him.

Gail hated his calm demeanour, sometimes she wished that he would completely lose control in front of her and show his true self; however, he had a habit of doing that when she was not around, leaving her to pick up the pieces of the aftermath.

'I ain't that bad Darlin', I can only count maybe two times that you've had to step in...your loss of control on the other hand appears to be becoming a regular occurrence, could Daddy Emory be rubbin' off on you?' Lucas asked sarcastically, reading her mind effortlessly.

Gail took a sharp intake of breath at the insinuation, then exhaled slowly and leaned in close to him. From the outside, their closeness could be mistaken for an intimate exchange between a happily married couple; however, what Gail was feeling right now was a deep disdain for her husband. 'You're one to talk Sweetheart, your eldest has tried to hurt me on more than one occasion and I'm not convinced he won't turn on all of our children one day, just as soon as he steps fully into his Father's footsteps' she whispered coldly.

'You think I'd ever let him do anythin' to my children?' Lucas asked offended.

'You think you'll always have a choice?' Gail said bitterly, having learned a little about the Buck transfer of power.

Lucas stared deep into her eyes angrily for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest dominantly. 'If you think that boy is anywhere near ready to challenge me, you're not as smart as I thought you were Love'

'Let's just hope that by the time he is, our children have a fighting chance' Gail whispered coldly, then stepped back and regarded him curiously.

Lucas felt his rage begin to rise at the thought of his children being in danger, then spotted how calm she still was and let out a small laugh. 'You're tryin' to distract me...from what I wonder?' he asked casually, then began to pace the area slowly.

Gail inhaled deeply at her failed attempt to cause him to leave and followed close behind him. 'Maybe I want you gone so I can set up your surprise, considering what day it is' she stated sweetly.

'Nah, if you were interested in my birthday then you would've come home this mornin'...Not that I mind anyway, the Town is riled over your crazy women and we're more focused on our family than anythin' else' Lucas shrugged, not tempted by her comment.

Gail's mind had been elsewhere recently, as had Lucas' and she knew he did not actually want a fuss for his birthday this year, he would be happy if it was forgotten every year. Still, she should have been with him this morning regardless of her mood or their argument, that decision did not sit well with her at all.

Lucas sensed her slight regret and smiled. 'There's still time to make that up to me Love and I know you will, regardless of this little spat' he advised knowingly, then turned towards Abe's Antique Store curiously when he sensed a slight stir.

'I'll make it up to you right now, it's only fair...let's get out of here' Gail she whispered seductively, taking his hand in hers and pulling him gently towards the car.

'All in good time Darlin', right now I think I need a glass of juice and I know Abe is well stocked' he said sarcastically, then began heading towards Abe's Store quickly when he saw the change in her.

'Come on Lucas, you're not really going to deny me are you?' Gail laughed in disbelief, trying to hide her discomfort as she followed him.

'Give it up Love, I can't believe I didn't realise that you'd keep that ass close to your Sanctuary so you could keep an eye on him' Lucas advised amused that he had located his target and began planning what cruel things he could do to him, as he placed his hand on the door to the Antique Store and pushed it open gently.

'Lucas wait-' Gail started urgently and took hold of his arm roughly, then grabbed her stomach protectively and fell to the floor in agony.

Lucas turned towards his wife quickly, instantly sensing her pain and knelt down beside her as she tried to call out in agony. 'Gail, what it is?' he asked concerned, forgetting about Peter and everything else that was going on.

Gail felt a bolt of pain surge through her stomach and squeezed Lucas' wrist tight. 'I can't...not now!' she snapped in disbelief and bit down hard on Lucas' shoulder when the pain became too much.

Lucas instinctively pulled her up and watched as her water broke in front of him. 'Ah hell' he said in frustration at the bad timing, then picked her up carefully and carried her to his car.

* * *

Matt paced the entrance of the hospital impatiently with Billy at his side, the telephone call he had received from Lucas had been unexpected and his anxiety was increasing with every passing minute.

'Will you calm down? You'd think it was you going into labour' Billy said sarcastically, attempting to hide his own nervousness.

Matt let out a frustrated laugh and ran his hand through his hair in irritation. 'It's at least 7 weeks too early Billy, what in God's name has caused this to happen now?' he asked abruptly, unable to hide his worry and then shot an accusing glance at Lucas when he carried Gail in. 'It's about time' he snapped.

Lucas regarded him angrily, then forced his rage to stay under control knowing Gail would not want him to lash out. 'It's a long drive from Goat Town Doc and I ain't got wings' he snapped agitated and placed Gail carefully in the wheelchair that Matt had waiting for her.

'Not now Matt, it can't be now' Gail said frantically, then gripped her stomach tight and let out a pained moan.

Matt watched as she leaned forward in agony and knelt down beside her. 'It's going to be alright Gail, you're with me now and I will take care of you' he said reassuringly, then pushed Lucas out of the way and took control of the wheelchair as he rushed down the corridor.

Lucas went to release his twin at the sight of his Love being taken away by another man, then felt Billy's hand on his shoulder and shot him a look of warning.

'Let him check her out Lucas, you two aren't gonna help her if you keep butting heads. Just let him do his job and it'll all be fine' Billy reassured him, then let out a relieved sigh when Lucas' demeanour appeared to soften and they slowly walked in the direction Matt had headed.

* * *

Caleb entered the hospital with Merlyn, Abe and Luke after hearing the news about Gail. He followed his Sister obediently as they attempted to locate the rest of his family, then stopped when a strange sensation came over him.

'She's comin' now boy, this is your only shot to correct this monstrosity' Malcolm advised, appearing behind his Grandson suddenly.

Caleb jumped at the sight of the old man and took a step back nervously, noticing Merlyn had gone on ahead without him and leaving him alone. 'You ain't supposed to be here-'

'The heathen's distracted and your Daddy is so overcome with worry that he wouldn't sense me if I was right in front of his face' Malcolm interrupted and laughed maliciously, disappointed in his Sons affection for the woman who had diluted their gene pool.

'I don't want you anywhere near me, you just leave us all alone!' Caleb snapped, remembering the way Gail had acted when she thought he was siding with Malcolm and not wanting to cause any more hostility than he already had.

'Hostility, that's what you're worried about?' Malcolm asked in disbelief. 'That girl can't be allowed to enter this world boy, the last Buck that got into this mess realised the loss of his baby was for the greater good and you need to step in now where your Daddy can't!'

Caleb stared at Malcolm in horror for a moment, then ran down the corridor to find his Sister. He wanted no part in what Malcolm was suggesting and he was suddenly very worried about his Step Mom.

* * *

Gail lay back on the bed in the room Judith Temple had committed suicide in and willed herself to remain strong. She had been so distracted with her vengeance for Christie and her dark games to get her through her grief that she had failed to find out what the girl inside of her meant. Now that she felt her little girl fighting her way out, she knew that she was not ready for her arrival yet and needed more time to figure things out.

Gail sensed the darkness all around her and it made her skin crawl. She was in no condition to give birth and to stay alert to eliminate any threat that may come her way, she was truly scared and she did not want to call on her husband as she suspected that he would find it hard to dismiss the strangeness his family had served for so many years.

'I need you to breath Gail, the last thing we want is for you to pass out through lack of oxygen' Matt advised her, concerned with how white her skin had gotten.

Gail inhaled deeply and closed her eyes in an attempt to calm her heart rate, she tried to put her concerns aside so she could focus on the task at hand as she needed to be strong for her little girl. Lucas' family ties had no right to be in her mind right now, she was giving birth to their baby early and she needed to ensure her body did not shut down like it had with Luke.

When she opened her eyes she saw Malcolm stood in the corner of the room grimacing at her and managed to get out one scream before Matt placed a pillow roughly over her face. 'Lucas!' she screamed through the white fibres, struggling to pull Matt's hand away from the pillow.

Gail knew that this was not her friend; however, it did not ease the heartbreak she was feeling over Matt attempting to suffocate her. This was Malcolm's doing and he had finally come for her, taking advantage of her vulnerability and his ghoulish laughter echoed through her brain as she struggled to breath.

* * *

Lucas paced anxiously down the corridor while Billy got him a coffee out of the vending machine, suddenly a sharp bolt of pain surged through his head and Gail's scream pierced his mind. Lucas ran to her room without hesitation and kicked the door open urgently.

Billy followed Lucas when he spotted him run and let out a loud gasp when he saw Matt stood over Gail, smothering her with a pillow. He watched as Lucas grabbed the man by the neck and threw him down onto the floor hard, before a dark look came over his eyes and he stood over him like a lion about to devour his prey.

'No!' Gail managed to whisper in a hoarse voice, as she sensed Lucas' rage turn towards her best friend.

Billy heard the whisper and dove in front of Matt, preventing his friend from doing something they would all regret later.

'Get out of my way...you have one chance' Lucas warned through gritted teeth, consumed by his rage and his dislike of Matt.

Billy saw the look of hatred in Lucas' eyes, then saw Gail mouth something and found his voice. 'Malcolm' he repeated her words and hoped he had not just imagined the name.

'What?' Lucas asked confused, then turned his attention towards Gail as his demeanour changed and rushed to his wife's side.

Gail held her stomach protectively, then keeled over in pain and pointed to the corner. 'I can't do it all Lucas!' she snapped in an exasperated tone, then let out a small yell as her contractions came.

Lucas glanced over his shoulder at the empty corner, then held Gail's hand in his and allowed her to squeeze hard. 'I'm here and I won't let anythin' happen to you or our girl'

Gail sensed the truth in his voice; however, she also sensed the dark power that surrounded them and let out amused laugh. 'You know what? This is complicated because you're involved, if it was anybody but you then my life would be simple...All of you boy's need to get out right now and go get me Rita' she ordered angrily, past caring about everyone else's feelings and wanting all the men to just leave her alone.

'I am not leavin' you in here without protection, we're in this together' Lucas stated sternly, not willing to leave her.

'I have the only protection I can truly count on' Gail said coldly, turning towards Gideon who had entered the room and jumped up on her bed protectively, then stroked him affectionately.

Lucas inhaled deeply and shook his head hurtfully at the insinuation, then dragged the other two men out of the room and left her alone to deal with everything on her own as she wished.

-To be continued-


	6. Chapter 6

Lucas sat in Matt's office with Caleb, trying to push down his fury with his wife. The woman was unreasonable, he should be in there with her while Malcolm was skulking around not out here and he cursed her for making him stay away.

'Gideon will look after her, he wouldn't let anythin' happen to Gail' Caleb said reassuringly, sensing his Fathers anger building at being shut out.

'And why don't you wanna be there protectin' her?' Lucas asked accusingly, he had not been able to shake off the comment Gail had made previously and he was suddenly suspicious of his eldest.

Caleb stared down at his hands nervously, then thought about what Malcolm had said and how easily the darkness inside of him had stirred in his presence. Hi darkness had not been aimed at Malcolm, it had started to manifest ill feelings about his Step Mom and that concerned Caleb more than anything. 'I think I should keep away. I don't feel myself' he said quietly, feeling it was best to be honest.

Lucas sensed Caleb's darkness below his surface, he had also felt his own rage stirring erratically since Gail's water had broken. He was concerned for his wife; however, there was also a small part of him that felt some resentment for her and that made him uneasy.

No matter what disagreement they had in the past, he had never resented her. They were so passionate with each other that their arguments would get to colossal stages; however, he never though ill of her previously and he was beginning to understand why she had sent him away, clearly sensing something that he had not. 'You're not the only one torn between somethin' dark Son, don't be hard on yourself' he sighed finally, attempting to reassure his Son.

'If I was stronger I'd be able to send him away' Caleb said moodily.

'I am stronger and I didn't snuff him out' Lucas retorted curtly, irritated at himself for not dealing with his Father previously.

'You're both so hard done by out here in the safety of this office, while my little girl takes on the big bad wolf herself. How noble of you Bucks' Peter said venomously, as he appeared suddenly and stared at them both with disdain.

Lucas felt his rage take over at the sound of Peter Emory's voice and he released his twin to deal with the ass once and for all.

'Stop!' Caleb screamed defiantly, when he sensed the attack on Gail's Father. He knew Gail would not react well if Lucas did something to him while she was indisposed and that was the last thing any of them needed.

Lucas grabbed Caleb by his T Shirt collar and pulled him closer to him, he had about enough of being ordered around and this outburst could not have come at a worse time. 'Come again?' he asked calmly, with a hint of anger in his undertone.

'Why would he come here knowin' you would do somethin' with Gail preoccupied? Give it a minute and let's just all calm down' Caleb advised calmly, trying to reason with his Father and not rise to his own frustrations.

Lucas narrowed his eyes at Caleb for a moment, then let out an exasperated sigh and called his twin back. 'Give me one reason why I shouldn't snuff you out right here and now?' he asked Peter, turning his full attention towards the man he had hated who had caused him so many issues in the past.

'Cause I know what she knows, and I can see in that room even though you can't' Peter smiled smugly, amused at Lucas having to tame himself.

Lucas shook his head in agitation at his willingness to hear the man out, and shot Caleb a look of irritation at making him accept his help.

* * *

Christie sat on the window ledge of the cold hospital room, staring out at the dark parking lot. She spotted the man she had seen Lucas threatening before she died staring up at her and shook her head at her own stupidity, now that she knew who he really was. 'You think it was the smartest idea to send away your muscle?' she asked curiously, concerned for her friend and her unborn child.

'When have I ever needed a man to fight my battles for me?' Gail laughed, welcoming the calmness in her body before another contraction hit violently.

'This whole Town is cursed' Christie stated venomously.

'Maybe I'm just cursed and everybody close to me suffers because of it' Gail suggested, having considered this possibility several times throughout her life.

Christie stood up from her seated position and approached her friend slowly. Gail may have shown some questionable behaviour since her death; however, she was still her friend and she still loved her. 'If it comes to it, I'll step in and do something' she advised, hoping there was at least some benefit of her being in this form.

'Oh you have super powers now so you?' Gail asked amused and allowed herself to let her guard down for a moment, enjoying the friendly banter. She missed Christie dearly and even though this situation was terrifying, she felt comforted knowing her oldest friend was with her and actually willing to come to harm for her.

'From what I've witnessed, I'm not the only friend of yours that may have super powers' Christie smiled warily and sat down beside her friend, attempting to ease her discomfort.

Gail smiled at Christie warmly, then a flash back of her past life suddenly burned into her brain. She had a vision of Rosemary being held under the water by her jealous Cousin and watched in horror as her past self drowned. Rosemary had been taken by surprised, never suspected that her kin could so such a thing and that misplaced trust had been her undoing.

Gail took a sharp intake of breath when she came back to the present and spotted Malcolm in the middle of the room, smiling his loathsome smile at her. Christie instinctively stood up to meet him head on; however, Gail pulled her back abruptly and watched as Gideon barred his teeth at the ghost, ready to protect her at any cost.

'You think that mutt really poses me a threat? I'm not the only one who knows what this abomination is and we won't stand for your meddling with our ways, even if my Son is besotted with you' Malcolm hissed and stared at Gideon with amusement.

'Your Son will end you completely if you come near me or his Daughter' Gail threatened as she started to release her darkness to assist Gideon; however, an intense contraction came on her suddenly and she leaned over in pain, unable to concentrate on anything but her labour.

'Oh the irony of the thing that you're trying desperately to protect actually preventing you from protecting it...This is just far too easy' Malcolm laughed and took a step closer to Gail.

* * *

'So you're tellin' me that she knows more than she's lettin' about this girl thing?' Lucas asked in disbelief, not believing Gail would ever actually confide in the man that abused her as a child.

'I'm observant and I can read things, I thought you could too Sheriff...I guess havin' my little Popet to distract you has dulled your mind some' Peter mocked sarcastically.

'Oh your little girl sure does distract me several times a day, it's a pleasure to watch her work' Lucas smirked devilishly and bit his bottom lip at the thought of Gail servicing his needs. 'You know, I used to think her insatiable appetite for me was due to Daddy issues, but now I know she's just ravenous all the time and can't get enough of-'

'Stop it!' Caleb interrupted, not wanting to hear about his Step Mom in such a way.

'Yeah stop it, your love child with Saint Judy's heard enough...Actually there wasn't any love there, more just brutal force so I stand corrected' Peter added sarcastically.

'What?' Caleb asked his Father confused, not liking that Peter appeared to have turned on him now.

'Oh don't look so stunned, you think he actually wanted your Momma? That women had nowhere near enough social standin' to be with him, she was just a vessel for his seed and look at how well that turned out...Luring my Poppet out here to this hell hole, you should be ashamed of yourself!' Peter snapped in disgust, never understanding why his girl had decided to stay with this dim wit she used to call her only living relative.

'Keep goin' and really give me a reason to smite you down' Lucas warned, hoping for any justifiable excuse to end this so not to turn Gail against him.

'She doesn't want you end me, I think she's actually started to like havin' me around and we're becomin' a family again' Peter smiled happily.

Lucas suspected as much and had been hoping that he was wrong; however, why else would she have kept him here for so long? Lucas could not stand the satisfaction in Peter's tone and he felt his twin clawing to be released. 'I'll tell you what, she's gonna pay for every minute she chooses to keep you around. I'll have her on her knees and beggin' every day for ways to please me, all because you don't know your place...Believe me when I say that your little girl has no idea what's comin' to her and it's all down to you' he warned devilishly.

Peter stared at him with hatred in his eyes, the thought of this man touching his little girl was bad enough; however, the actual threat of him degrading her in such a way was infuriating. 'You brought this whole situation on you know? You and your witch' he hissed angrily.

Lucas regarded Peter confused for a moment, then smiled smugly. 'We're connected in more ways than you ever could have imagined, this return of yours ain't nothin'' he said proudly, not caring about Caleb's presence.

'You're selfish and you've damned her!' Peter snapped, unable to hold his tongue about what he had discovered through his Daughters investigations.

'If you knew the true story Daddy, you'd know it was her who linked us to spend eternity together and not a Buck' Lucas mocked amused at the mans anger.

'Dad?' Caleb interjected suddenly, trying to get his Fathers attention.

'Linked, damned, it's the same thing when it comes to you Buck's and now you claim to be concerned when my little girl is caught in the crossfire of your stupid traditions, when this is all your families doin'' Peter continued, disregarding the interruption.

'Oh your little girl will forever be caught up with me and I'll make you watch as I strip away every ounce of her soul, while she begs me to take her over and over again' Lucas threatened smugly, sensing Peter's hatred for him.

'Daddy!' Caleb called angrily, making himself heard over the childish bickering of the adults.

Lucas turned towards his Son at the sound of the outburst and regarded him curiously. 'Are you alright?' he asked concerned.

'It's Malcolm, he said somethin'-' Caleb started, then rubbed his head when he was unable to put his finger on it.

'It's about time you stepped into the ring, I thought I'd have to spell it out forever' Peter snapped, then disappeared from the hospital when it was evident Caleb had remembered Malcom's words.

Lucas let out a long sigh when he could not sense Peter's whereabouts anymore and shot Caleb a look of irritation. 'This better be worth the distraction Son'

'Somethin' about before...A Buck had accepted this before, for the greater good' Caleb said quietly and stared up at his Father confused.

Lucas pondered on the comment for a moment, then cursed himself for being so unobservant and signalled for Caleb to follow him.

'Where are we goin'?' Caleb asked worried.

'To find your Sister, the only member of the family who your Step Mom is likely to trust right now' Lucas advised and headed down the corridor to find Merlyn.

* * *

'Back off!' Christie warned, finding herself between this monster and her best friend. She did not know what she could actually do to assist Gail; however, she had to try as Gail had sent everyone else out.

'Oh come on, you think she really ever cared about you? You were the only person who befriended little orphan Annie over there and the lack of punishment she dished out against my Son should prove how little she actually thought of you' Malcolm laughed, enjoying a rare opportunity to toy with someone away from his resting ground.

'I've seen how my death affected her-'

'You saw the Buck gene that's growin' inside of her comin' out bit by bit, to make room for the actual ejection. Whatever you witnessed her do was not due to your death and a coping mechanism, it was her own need to release some of the darkness growin' inside of her' Malcolm advised hurtfully.

'Don't listen to him' Gail interjected, sensing Christie's feelings for her shift and unable to focus fully on what was happening whilst be in excruciating pain.

'Why not? I have no reason to lie to her. She can't actually hurt me so what benefit have I got of being dishonest?' Malcolm asked amused.

'You're a cruel monstrosity who was murdered by his own Son, after you killed his Mother. You know your wife was screwing around on you right? Lucas doesn't know that but I do...She despised you from the day she met you, but she put up with your bullshit for her Son. You think she was sad when you killed her? She was relieved that she wouldn't have to put up with looking at your stupid face any more' Gail said hurtfully, trying to distract him from his thoughts.

'It's a shame he couldn't save her from the world of pain I put her through, that boy has no idea how much I really did to her' Malcolm smiled fondly at the thought of torturing his wife and flashed his sharp teeth. 'When I'm done with you, I might just see if I can find her and continue what I started'

'Gail?' Merlyn called concerned, when she tried to open the door and it would not budge.

'You think he'll realise how much I'm gonna do to you?' Malcolm asked ignoring the interruption and taking another step closer to Gail, then pushed Christie out of the way effortlessly.

Gail tried to summon her darkness again desperate for some help, then grabbed her stomach again when a bolt of pain surged through her. She was happy to bring her little girl into the world whenever she was ready to come; however, her timing absolutely sucked and Gail found herself laughing at her own bad luck.

'You think this is funny?' Malcolm asked cautiously, taken aback by her laughter.

'I think what your Son is going to do to you for just being here will be far worse than you could ever hope to do to me' Gail forced a smile, trying to remain strong.

'My Son won't come in here Gail, the consequences of that would be far worse than you could ever imagine-'

'But when I'm out of here, which I will be undoubtedly, he's going to come down on you like you've never known before' Gail warned in an amused tone, having faith in her ability to protect their Daughter no matter how bad the odds looked right now.

When Malcolm finally closed the distance, all sound disappeared from the room and it was only them. Gail sensed Merlyn banging on the door; however, she could not hear her and the room was silent.

'It's just you and me now. Even your protector is nowhere to be found' Malcolm smiled devilishly and fully closed the distance between them.

Gail noticed that Gideon was no longer there and she a strong feeling of despair came over her, until she felt a strange tugging at her brain and smiled when she recognised the connection she had with Merlyn was shining through. She sensed Merlyn's thoughts, someone completely innocent and unconnected to the Buck lines roots who was completely unaffected by Malcolm's influence. Her Cousin was thinking of the first time Rosemary had appeared, stalking their car as Gail had driven away unsure of who the dark presence was.

Gail was taken back to her vision of Rosemary's death, pregnant Rosemary who had been tricked by someone she had never suspected would turn on her and lost both her life and her child's life in the process. Pregnant Rosemary, the thought kept repeating in her mind. 'It was a girl' Gail let out a small laugh at not making the connection before, then felt Malcolm's cold fingers hands close around her neck.

'Don't worry, I'm only gonna get you to a more manageable level' he laughed, as he squeezed her trachea. 'Let's get the main task completed, before I get to take you home for some real fun'

Gail clawed at his hands which were starving her and her Daughter of oxygen, then thought back to Rosemary and what must have been going through her mind as she knew her Daughter was dying. Suddenly Rosemary appeared behind Malcolm and peeled his hand off of her neck effortlessly, then stared maliciously into his eyes.

'You forgot about my other protector' Gail whispered hoarsely, then finally had enough time to release her darkness and watched as Malcolm was dragged kicking and screaming through the window where her Aunt had died. Although her darkness had left with Rosemary, she could see where they were taking him in her mind and she smiled wickedly, knowing he would be truly punished for what he had tried to do.

Merlyn crashed through the door when the barrier was finally broken and rushed to Gail's side, while Caleb peered nervously at them through the doorway. 'Has he gone?' Caleb asked worried.

'He's gone' Lucas advised knowingly from behind him, then pulled Caleb out of the room to enable Gail to have the space that she had previously requested.

* * *

Rita stood nervously at the foot of the bed, trying to tend to her friend the best way that she could. She was Nurse not a Doctor and when she heard Gail had called for her above a qualified Doctor again, she lost all coherent thought and just started working on instinct.

'Tell me again why Matt isn't in here gettin' this done proper?' Merlyn asked disapprovingly, sensing Rita's nervousness.

'You think I'm going to let my best friend see what's under this gown?' Gail laughed in disbelief. 'Billy knew the drill too when I was pregnant with Luke, it's nothing personal but I'm not having any man except my husband loose down there, and Rita performed all the intimate examinations during my pregnancy on me anyhow' she shrugged, then called out in pain as her contraction hit hard.

Merlyn grimaced when Gail squeezed her hand and inhaled through her own pain. 'If it was all down to work experience, I guess you'd be qualified in no time with Gail havin' as much faith in you as she does' she smiled at Rita, trying to keep her cool while her Cousin was holding back her agonising cries.

'Talkin' about it ain't helpin' me concentrate!' Rita snapped, harsher than she had intended. 'If this goes anywhere near as long as Luke did, I don't think you're gonna survive this pain' she advised Gail concerned.

'Thank's for the vote of confidence' Gail said through gritted teeth, trying to make it through this agonising ordeal without being torn apart from the inside out.

* * *

Lucas paced the corridor agitated, unable to shake his anxiousness. It had been seven hours since the incident with Malcolm and he sensed Rosemary's presence, in addition to something dark circling the hospital; however, both kept their distance.

Lucas knew the attack on Malcolm would not be forgotten, just like he knew deep down that he would never have allowed anything to hurt his wife or his unborn child; however, Gail had come through and kept him out of the equation, which meant he had stayed true to the powers he served. Caleb would not dare step in on their orders and he was confident that Gail had enough protection around her to fend off whatever Malcolm had been talking about, now it was just a case of her getting through the labour.

It was hard for Lucas, he had been through this twice before and it still did not get any easier. Judith had suffered with Caleb, Gail had suffered much more with Luke and now all he could hear was Gail's internal screams of agony as her contractions came. Luke's delivery nearly killed her, she barely made it out alive and he was not willing to lose her now.

Lucas let out a long sigh and turned towards the hospital door, when his love finally yelled out in pain. He willed their little girl to be kind to her Mother and continued to pace the hall, unable to assist either of his girls right now.

* * *

Gail was annoyed at herself for being unable to prevent her sudden outburst of pain and lay back on the uncomfortable bed, trying to catch her breath. This was worse than Luke, it was worse than any pain she had ever felt and she just wanted it done. She felt Merlyn gently wiping the sweat that was running down her face and whispering reassuringly to her. Gail knew that she was only trying to help; however, she wanted to rip her throat out just so someone else could experience the pain that she was feeling right now.

Merlyn sensed her thought and took a step back cautiously. She cursed out loud at Lucas for putting her Cousin in this position again and hoped he could feel her agony.

'He feel's bad enough, leave him alone' Gail said quietly, attempting to hold in the tears that began to form in her eyes.

'You don't deserve this, it ain't right!' Merlyn snapped, hating seeing her Cousin in this vulnerable way.

'Maybe it's exactly what I deserve, you don't know what I've done-' Gail started and felt the tears roll down her cheeks as another contraction came.

'Oh stop feeling sorry for yourself and man up' Christie said sternly, appearing behind Merlyn and attempting to remain unfazed by the pain her best friend was clearly in.

Gail pushed as hard as she could, then started laughing hysterically. She had her previously dead Cousin at her side, her currently dead oldest friend, her probably dead dog Gideon and poor Rita, who was not even a Doctor and had no clue about any of the others. What a colourful group this was.

Suddenly she felt herself begin to shiver. She could not do this, she felt her body failing her and her darkness had left her to deal with Malcolm. It did not matter what any of her support group were trying to do, she was alone in this and Gail did not believe she could deliver their Daughter without consequence on her own.

'You think he believes that out there? Your knight in shining armour, the love of your life, your one true soulmate? You think he's pacing around believing you're gonna fail? Or has he left you here as you requested, trusting that you got this?' Christie asked seriously, not allowing her friend to give up now.

Gail shook her head for a moment, sucking in the air desperately trying to prepare herself for the next contraction. Lucas would have sensed her darkness leave her, sensed her old self here alone and if he did not believe she could handle this, he would have forced control of the situation.

'That's right, he wouldn't allow you to even consider not making it through this so just get on with it!' Christie snapped, knowing Gail did not need a weak response from anyone right now.

Gail took a deep breath and nodded, she felt her second wind hit and challenged her little girl to take her on. When her next contraction came violently, Gail had prepared herself for a long night and took control of her emotions.

* * *

Ten hours had passed since the incident with Malcolm and Lucas was sat with his head in his hands, waiting for Gail's pain to ease once more. Caleb came beside him and placed a soft hand on his arm, then rested his head on his shoulder as they both waited patiently for their family to be united again.

Abe sat on the other side of the corridor, with Luke resting sadly on his chest. The boy had cried himself to sleep, clearly worried at the lack of appearance from his Mother and Lucas had not wanted to take him, appearing more focused on controlling his own emotions. He did not know what had transpired before he met up with the group; however, he sensed Lucas needed some space and was happy supporting him in the way he knew was required.

Abe was about to take Luke to his Father when he witnessed Caleb rest his head on his shoulder, so the family could be together; however, the sound of a newborn baby crying caught his attention and he stood up quickly. 'Get up boy, now!' he exclaimed at Lucas, grabbing Luke tight when the boy jumped frightened in his arms.

Lucas was so preoccupied with controlling his emotions that he had not heard the cries straight away, when Abe alerted him to the glorious sound he stood up quickly and rushed towards the room Gail occupied. As he opened the door, he smiled as Rita held a tiny pink girl covered in a large white blanket. He moved towards his Daughter, then suddenly remembered what happened to Gail after Luke was successfully delivered and turned to his wife concerned.

'I'm alright' Gail said quietly, as she lay back in the bed exhausted and smiled reassuringly at him. 'Go to your Daughter'

Lucas went to his wife and placed a soft kiss on her lips, before following her order and taking his Daughter gently from Rita. 'Under 24 hours? This one's gotta be a record' he said sarcastically and smiled proudly down at his little girl as she gripped his index finger with her small fingers.

Gail let out an amused laugh and shook her head, still in shock that she had managed to ensure such agonising pain and bring their girl into the world without her darkness to aid her. 'And on your birthday' she whispered to herself, taking Lucas' hand as he sat down on the bed beside her.

'In the hour I was born too' Lucas whispered in her ear after checking his watch, then handed their baby to her and placed his arms protectively around them both.

-The end-


End file.
